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The boys of fall are the faces of many small towns. Places like Baldwyn and Louisville, Shannon and Batesville, Taylorsville and Noxapater. Sons play on the same fields as their daddies and granddads. Some are even coached by the same men. It's been that way for decades.

But today there are no rivals, no opponents. When Jackson Prep junior lineman Walker Wilbanks died Monday afternoon after being hospitalized following Friday night's 26-21 loss to No. 1-ranked Oxford, we all lost a teammate. He was a son and a sibling, a student and a friend. He was one of those faces that makes Friday nights special.

And one of those players who played on the same field his daddy once did.

All our thoughts and prayers are first and foremost with his parents, David and Shelia, and his brother, Landon.

They also are with the coaches, faculty, and students at Prep. My eldest son graduated from Prep in 2001. He played football under the current head coach, Ricky Black, and the athletic director and defensive coordinator, Will Crosby. Defensive line coach Nick Brewer was also on the staff then.

I used to not only attend every game my son, Todd, played but most every practice. Not to meddle. Just to enjoy the high school experience with him. It passes in a blur. I did the same with my younger son, Taylor, who played at Ridgeland High School.

Everyone is wondering exactly why Wilbanks died. Reports said he "wasn't himself" at some point during the first half and was removed from the game. He was driven to Baptist Medical Center sometime during the game, and it was there that Wilbanks began having severe complications. Over-hydration has been mentioned as a cause.

There are those wondering why Wilbanks wasn't treated by the American Medical Response team that was on hand. That team included a paramedic, an EMT and an ambulance.

The reason is simple: Prep has some of Jackson's finest doctors on its sidelines — and in the stands — at every game. Wilbanks was consulted by a physician on the sideline.

I was not there Friday night. But I have been there on many others. I was always astounded by the professional care provided by doctors on hand, and the attention to detail Black and his staff showed when it came to injuries of any kind.

In a 2000 playoff game vs. Lee Academy, my son suffered an arm injury after catching a pass late in the first quarter. "We don't think his elbow is cracked but we can't put him back in the game until we know for sure that it's not," a doctor told me. So we booked it to the hospital for X-rays, which turned out negative. He returned to the game in the third quarter.

If the Prep staff showed such caution with a possible cracked elbow, I assure you they showed the same concern and care for a player who "didn't seem himself" during the game.

When we hurt, some want to assign blame.

Maybe games shouldn't be played in the heat of August. That's a fair challenge. But for some to begin casting doubtful eyes at at veteran coach such as Ricky Black is wrong. I trusted him to teach and care for my son in a rough, violent sport for three years.